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CNN Live Sunday

Gregory Hines Dead at 57

Aired August 10, 2003 - 16:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: He was called the greatest tap dancer of his generation. Gregory Hines. He died this weekend of cancer at 57. He was a star on Broadway as well as on the big and small screens. Hines began dancing at the age of five and went on to win a Tony Award for the musical "Jelly's Last Jam." Joining us now from Los Angeles to take a look back at his very varied career is CNN's Paul Clinton.
Good to see you, Paul. Unfortunately, under such circumstances. But let's talk about Gregory Hines and the versatility of this performer. Most people knew him mostly as a tap dancer, but he really did grow into quite an actor as well, making quite an impression altogether on the entertainment industry didn't he?

PAUL CLINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes he did. He was an amazing man. I first met him when he was on Broadway doing "Sophisticated Ladies," when I was working on the "Tom Snyder" show. And I was always impressed with Gregory, his elegance, his style.

When he walked in a room, you always knew he was there. He was a star, and he was a star as you said, on Broadway and in film. He also won a Daytime Emmy doing the voice of Big Bill in the show "Little Bill," which is produced by Bill Cosby. He won the Tony, as you said, for "Jelly's Last Jam." He was also in "White Nights" with Mikhail Baryshnikov, "Running Scared" with Billy Crystal. He was a elegant, elegant man. He also loved to mentor people. And one of his biggest mentorees was Savion Glover, who was from "Bring In The Noise, Bring In The Funk." He'll be greatly missed. It was a big surprise. I don't think anybody even knew he was ill.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I was going to say, this is really one that caught so many people by surprise. What, if anything, are you learning from some of the contacts or his publicists, either, or who are saying anything about how his battle with cancer has been unfolding?

CLINTON: I haven't been able to reach anybody. I only found out about the whole thing just about an hour and a half ago. But he did supposedly die here in L.A. yesterday. And that's all the details we have right now. We're not even sure what type of cancer at this point.

WHITFIELD: It's always so fun to look at some of this tape of him because I don't think a whole lot of folks realized how much he really is being credited with helping to keep alive the dying art of tap dancing. CLINTON: Oh, he did definitely. He brought tap back to life. And he's, again -- I can't say enough about his elegance and his style. And when he walked in a room, you always knew he was there. He was a very, very sweet man; very, very dedicated to his work. And he was a master of tap and did do a lot to bring that dance form back to the forefront.

WHITFIELD: And an awful lot can be said about his staying power, if you will. You know, in the spotlight from "Cotton Club" to "White Nights," and even more currently, in a television sitcom, a very popular one, "Will & Grace," having a very different kind of character, having nothing to do with dancing but just pure acting and comedy.

CLINTON: Comedy, yes. That's what I was going to say. He was a great comedic actor who played Will's boss for a whole season in a story art. And he was very, very funny. So he could do it all. He could dance, he could act. He could do the comedy. He could do the drama. He was an amazing man. He will be sorely missed.

WHITFIELD: All right. Paul Clinton, thanks very much for helping us pay tribute to Gregory Hines, dead at the age of 57 of cancer.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired August 10, 2003 - 16:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: He was called the greatest tap dancer of his generation. Gregory Hines. He died this weekend of cancer at 57. He was a star on Broadway as well as on the big and small screens. Hines began dancing at the age of five and went on to win a Tony Award for the musical "Jelly's Last Jam." Joining us now from Los Angeles to take a look back at his very varied career is CNN's Paul Clinton.
Good to see you, Paul. Unfortunately, under such circumstances. But let's talk about Gregory Hines and the versatility of this performer. Most people knew him mostly as a tap dancer, but he really did grow into quite an actor as well, making quite an impression altogether on the entertainment industry didn't he?

PAUL CLINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes he did. He was an amazing man. I first met him when he was on Broadway doing "Sophisticated Ladies," when I was working on the "Tom Snyder" show. And I was always impressed with Gregory, his elegance, his style.

When he walked in a room, you always knew he was there. He was a star, and he was a star as you said, on Broadway and in film. He also won a Daytime Emmy doing the voice of Big Bill in the show "Little Bill," which is produced by Bill Cosby. He won the Tony, as you said, for "Jelly's Last Jam." He was also in "White Nights" with Mikhail Baryshnikov, "Running Scared" with Billy Crystal. He was a elegant, elegant man. He also loved to mentor people. And one of his biggest mentorees was Savion Glover, who was from "Bring In The Noise, Bring In The Funk." He'll be greatly missed. It was a big surprise. I don't think anybody even knew he was ill.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I was going to say, this is really one that caught so many people by surprise. What, if anything, are you learning from some of the contacts or his publicists, either, or who are saying anything about how his battle with cancer has been unfolding?

CLINTON: I haven't been able to reach anybody. I only found out about the whole thing just about an hour and a half ago. But he did supposedly die here in L.A. yesterday. And that's all the details we have right now. We're not even sure what type of cancer at this point.

WHITFIELD: It's always so fun to look at some of this tape of him because I don't think a whole lot of folks realized how much he really is being credited with helping to keep alive the dying art of tap dancing. CLINTON: Oh, he did definitely. He brought tap back to life. And he's, again -- I can't say enough about his elegance and his style. And when he walked in a room, you always knew he was there. He was a very, very sweet man; very, very dedicated to his work. And he was a master of tap and did do a lot to bring that dance form back to the forefront.

WHITFIELD: And an awful lot can be said about his staying power, if you will. You know, in the spotlight from "Cotton Club" to "White Nights," and even more currently, in a television sitcom, a very popular one, "Will & Grace," having a very different kind of character, having nothing to do with dancing but just pure acting and comedy.

CLINTON: Comedy, yes. That's what I was going to say. He was a great comedic actor who played Will's boss for a whole season in a story art. And he was very, very funny. So he could do it all. He could dance, he could act. He could do the comedy. He could do the drama. He was an amazing man. He will be sorely missed.

WHITFIELD: All right. Paul Clinton, thanks very much for helping us pay tribute to Gregory Hines, dead at the age of 57 of cancer.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com